Transparent garment protector



1938- B. w. WHITEMAN TRANSPARENT GARMENT PROTECTOR Filed April 16, 1937 Ema/who; I

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Patented Oct. 4, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,132,337 TRANSPARENT GARMENT rao'rno'ron. Benjamin W. Whitemam Atlanta, Ga. Application April 16, 1937, Serial No. 137,361

3 Claims. (Cl."21l6'i) Generically this invention relates to garment protectors, but it is more especially directed to a bag or sack type of container formed from transfrom a transparent material, and fastener closure means normally adapted to seal the opening through which the articles are inserted and removed so as to provide a dust and dirt proof container.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a bag-like garment protector formed from a transparent material securely bound at its surrounding edges so as to effect a reinforced and strengthened structure and having a longitudinal opening and slide fastener closure means therefor connected to the transparent material in such a manner that said closure means will not become torn loose in course of usage of the bag, and, whereby said fastener closure may be opened and closed without substantial stress or pull with respect to the transparent material and at the same time presenting, with the remaining structure, a pleasing appearance.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several figures, of which:

Fig; l-is a front elevationof the bag showing the position of the contents therein in dotted outline.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 when looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged detail view of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view of a modification showing the fastening means extending substantially to the lower end of the container.

The garment protectors heretofore in use with which I am familiar have proven deficient in many respects, such as preventing a view of the contents without at least opening the container or partially or completely removing the contents; not completely covering the contents and, where attempts have been made to use a' transparent material, rendering it diflicult to insert or remove the garments, such structure becoming easily damaged in use, and not having a normally closed opening for preventing the entrance of dust and dirt to the interior of the protector; and it was to overcome such deficiencies by providing a transparent garment protector in the nature of a bag or envelope having a longitudinal openingthrough which the garments may be expeditiously inserted and removed, a slide fastener closure means for said opening so secured as to strengthen the container structure and, at the same time, having hand grip loops or tab elements secured in such a manner at the top and bottom of the fastener means, that pull or stress against the transparent material is practically eliminated during operation of said fastening means in opening and clos-' ing directions, thereby preventing damage to said transparent material, said container being bound surrounding its edges to further strengthen the container structure, said binding and manner of attaching the fastener means being such as to present a pleasing appearance, that I designed the transparent garment sack substantially dust 'and dirt proof protector forming the subject matter of this invention.

In the illustrated embodiment characterizing this invention, which constitutes a preferred form of the invention, there is shown a transparent sack or envelope-like transparent container A, in the present instance rectangular in configuration and formed from either a two-piece or one-piece material such' as Cellophane or other transparent materialf cut to the configuration desired and having its surrounding edges bound by suitable U-shaped binder of fabric or other suitable material l secured by stitching 2. This not only tends to produce a pleasing appearance, but effects a strengthened container structure as will be apparent.

The upper end 3 of the container is preferably arcuate or curved to substantially conform to the configuration of garment hanger 4 having hook member 5 of conventional design. The central upper end of the front side wall 6 of said container is slightly shorter than the rear side wall I forming opening 8 throughwhich is adapted to extend hook 5 of hanger 4 from which is suspended garment 9 as will be well understood. The upper edge of side 6 has secured thereoverbinder I0, similar to binder I, the ends of which binder are secured within binder I by stitching 2, and which effects with binder I of end 3, an anchor or reinforced brace construction, as and for a purpose directly more fully appearing.

The front side 6 of the container is formed with a longitudinal slot or opening II, the edges I2 of which are folded back upon themselves, and bridging or closing the lower portion of the opening is, in the present instance, a fabric strip I3 of a width greater than said opening and with its longitudinal edges I4 superimposed on or overlying said edges I2. The edges I2 and I4 are bound by a binder I5, similar to binder I, and secured by stitching 2. The lower end of said strip or web .I3 extends within binder I and is secured by stitching 2, as will be apparent.

Adapted to normally bridge or close the portion of the opening II above strip I3, and in a similar manner to the latter, is the fastening closure structure B comprising strips or tapes I6, with their meeting edges extending substantially to the center of the slot and having suitably applied thereto the well known form'of interlocking metallic eyes or loops I!, moved into and out of interlocking engagement by means of a slide fastener I8 provided'with operating tab I9 by means of which the elements 1 I! of the fastening means areengaged and disengaged as will be well understood.

The strips I6 adjacent their lower ends are secured together by a suitable staple element 20. The width of the interlocked strips I6 corresponds to that of the strip or web I3, and their outer longitudinal edges I4 constitute continuations of edges I4 of strip I3 and which edges are similarly bound with edges I2 of the transparent material of side 6 by binder I5 and stitching 2. The upper end of strip I3 is folded inwardly upon itself and secured to the lower end of strips I6 by stitching 2|, and interposed between said meeting edges and secured by stitching 2| are the free ends of a loop or finger grip tab element 22, in the present instance, formed from a piece of said binder material I. The upper ends of binders I5 and strips I6 are inserted in binder I0 and superimposed on said strip and similarly inserted are the free ends of tab 23, all of which parts are secured by stitching 2. The tab 23 is similar to tab 22 except the loop portion extends downwardly instead of upwardly as in the case of the former.

While the web 6 has preferably been shown as extending some distance upwardly from the bottom 24 it isto be understood that the length of the web and corresponding length of structure B may be varied according to the exigencies of the particular requirements and incident to different sized containers, as shown in Fig. 6, without departing from the scope or spirit of this invention.

The advantages of the construction of bag A and the operation of the fastening structure B would seem to be clear from the above description; however, it might be well to further state that the manner of construction and securing structure B and web I3 to which said structure is.

connected and the upper end structure including brace binder Ill and end 3 effects a structural arrangement adapted not only to greatly strengthen the bag in connection with the opening, for insertion and removal of the contents, but effects a structural arrangement, whereby tab 23 may be'gripped when moving fastener member I8 in opening direction, the pull or stress incident thereto being distributed from brace I9 to the upper binder structure 3, and not against or materially damagethe transparent material during repeated use. The same is true with respect to tab 22 and web I3, which latter is connected to the tape binder at the bottom 24 of the container, when moving slide fastener I8 in the opposite or closing direction, the pull being so distributed as not to affect the transparent material, as above described.

It will be further apparent thatthe surrounding binder I of the container, binders I5 and I0, fastener structure B and web I3, all interconnected, effects a reinforced structural arrangement, whereby the container proper, and in connection with opening I I, is materially strengthened and, in consequence, a sturdy transparent garment container is effected, its length of life under repeated usage greatly increased, and at the same time, constituting a bag manufacturable at a negligible production cost, simple in construction, versatile in its adaptive use and efficient for the purposes intended.

Although in practice I have found that the form of my invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings and referred to in the above description as the preferred embodiment, is the most efficient and practical; yet realizing the conditions concurrent with the adoption of my invention will necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize that various minor changes in details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts, may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims without departing from or sacrificing any of the principles of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire protected by Letters Patent is as set forth in the following claims:

1. A garment container in which articles of clothing are adapted to be suspended, compris- ,1

ing an elongated bag including front and rear sides formed from transparent material, the front transparent side being truncated at its upper end, a suitably secured binder surrounding the edges of the bag, the front side being formed with a slot-like opening extending throughout its length, a strengthening binder suitably attached to said truncated end with its ends connected to said first mentioned stiffening binder and bridging said opening, and closure means for said opening including a slide fastener means, and a strengthening reinforcing means connecting the meeting edges of the transparent material and closure means and connected to said first mentioned stiffening binder at the bottom of the bag I and said truncated binder, whereby a strengthened bag structure is effected.

2. A garment container in which articles of clothing are adapted to be suspended, comprising an elongated bag including front and rear sides formed from transparent material, a suitably secured stiffening binder surrounding the outer edge of said container and securing said sides therebetween to a point spaced from the apex of said container, whereby an opening is formed at the top thereof, the front side of said container being formed with a slot-like opening, a strengthening binder bridging the upper end of the opening extending laterally beyond the edges thereof and connected to the binder, .closure means for said opening connected to the bottom of said bag extending throughout a portion of said slot and a slide fastener means connected to said closure means at one end and to said strengthening binder at the other end, and strengthening reinforcing means connecting the meeting edges of the transparent material, closure, and fastening means, whereby a strengthened transparent bag structure is effected.

3. A garment container in which articles of clothing are adapted to. be suspended, formed from transparent material, a suitably secured stiffening binder surrounding the edges of thecontainer, the front side being formed with a cut-out opening extending from the bottom to g 3 the top of said side, a fabric material bridging a portion of said slot opening, slide fastener means bridging theremaining portion of said opening, a bracing element bridging the upper end of said slot with its ends connected to said stiffening binder, the upper end of said fastening means being secured to said bracing element and its lower end to said fabricmaterial, and finger grip means secured to said brace means and to said fabric, whereby stresses and pull incident to the movement of the fastening means in opening and closing directions are prevented with respect to the transparent material.

' BENJA IN w. WHITEMAN. 

